Like many charities, the MSPCA has been severely hurt by the recession. We had a devastating $11.4 million loss (25.7 percent) in the MSPCA’s endowment in 2008. In normal times, we rely on our endowment to provide investment income to support our programs. However, our heavily restricted endowment renders most of the principle untouchable. Therefore losses created a serious problem for us. We had to make very difficult and heartbreaking decisions.

We eliminated 46 jobs, reduced a number of programs, and announced the closure of our adoption centers in Brockton, Martha’s Vineyard and Springfield.

As a charity, our behavior, ethics and transparency with our spending practices are extremely important. We rely on supporters, and that requires that we earn their confidence and trust, not only in how effective and efficient we are, but also in how we use donations.

For this reason, an average of 88 cents of every dollar donated to the MSPCA goes toward direct care for animals. We provide direct care to more animals than any other animal welfare organization in Massachusetts; without any government funding.

Questions have been raised about MSPCA salaries. In the past three years, we eliminated three executive positions and executive salaries overall have been reduced by 30 percent. Last year we froze all salaried positions.

The senior management teams’ salaries remain frozen after two years, and the President’s salary has been frozen for three years. Recently reported executive compensation figures have included far more than cash compensation.

By including the cost of health insurance, life insurance, social security tax and other standard MSPCA benefits, reports fostered a misperception that salaries were as much as 32 percent higher than actuality.

The MSPCA executive benefit package is identical to that of the rest of the staff.

Each of our seven adoption centers operates at a loss. We identified a minimum number of closures based on the degree of losses and our goal to help as many animals as possible. In all three of the affected communities, we are working with local citizens, groups and government to facilitate new entities to step forward to help homeless animals in those areas.

In Brockton, we launched “Brockton Beginnings,” a Metro South campaign to find individuals and ultimately an organization to take over caring for homeless pets.

We will make our Brockton adoption center available to a responsible group who shares this goal. The same efforts are unfolding on Martha’s Vineyard and Springfield. The MSPCA is helping in every way we can, and are optimistic with the prospect of continued animal care as these communities step up to the challenge. We have made difficult decisions to ensure the long term health of the MSPCA and our ongoing ability to help animals. After 140 years, we remain committed to our mission to help animals in need for decades to come.

Page 2 of 2 - Carter Luke is chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals